Projectors utilizing either transmissive or reflective spatial light modulators are well known in the prior art. However, projectors that utilize transmissive spatial light modulators generally produce dim images due to projected light having to travel through the spatial light modulator, while projectors that utilize reflective spatial light modulators are expensive and thus, they do not enjoy widespread community usage.
In the above referenced continuation-in-part application, Ser. No. 10/138,765, a new and improved projector is disclosed that eliminates the need of a spatial light modulator and thus, is able to generate bright images at a relatively low cost. In this regard, the new and improved projector employs scanning optics where a number of light-emitting sources have their intensities varied in accordance with an image. The scanning optics scan the light output by the light-emitting sources to cover a two-dimensional plane in accordance with an image. While such a projector is a significant improvement over the prior art spatial light modulator projectors, resulting images can be seriously degraded through burned out, misdirected, or marginally operating light-emitting sources. For these and other reasons therefore, there is a need for the present invention.